Ruling device



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

J. GRUNDY. RULING DEVICE.

NO. 528,476; Patented 0015.30; 1894.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

' J. GRUNDY.

RULING DEVICE. No. 528,476. Patented. Oct. 30, 1894. v

lg eglr F ICE.

PATENT JAMES GRUNDY, OF PATERSON, NE\V JERSEY.

RULING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 6. 528,476, dated October30, 1894:. Application filed August 21,1893. Renewed October 4, 1894-Serial 110,524,929. (No model.)

- objects in view being the production of a convenient, cheap, andeasily operated device of this class adapted for ruling or marking lineson paper and especially designed for use by bookkeepers and othersemployed upon books, and for ruling or marking lines for day-books,journals, lodgers, cash-books, or

for other purposes; to accomplish such ruling expeditiously and withoutliability of smearing or the necessity of blotting.

With these and various other objects in view the invention consists incertain features of construction hereinafter specified and particularlypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective View of a rulingdevice embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective of thesame. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line :r-w of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the frame, the side and bottomstrips removed. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the marker. Fig. 6is a vertical sectional .view of the same on line y-y Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isa detail of the movable bottom. Fig. 8 is a detail hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line y-y, Fig. 1.

I Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures ofthe drawings.

In carrying out my invention I employ a pair of opposite end-walls 1,and connect the same by opposite longitudinal side-walls 2, forming anoblong frame. The end-walls between the side walls are connected by apair of horizontal parallel way-bars 3, the front one of which isconsiderably broader or wider than the other and therefore forms anintermediate way at one side of the longitudinal center of the frame,the said way-bars being let into the end-walls and supported in anysuitable manner.

The two upper corners of the end-walls are provided withbearing-openings and in the same are mounted longitudinally disposedwinding-shafts 5 which have their ends projecting beyond the end wallsand at one end are provided with small spur-wheels 6. Upon a stub-shaft7, projecting from that end-wall at which the spur gears are situatedand between said gears, there is mounted an intermediate spur-gear 8,the same havingits teeth at opposite sides engaging with the spur-gears6. This gear has fixed to its outer face a milled thumb-disk 9, so thatrotations of the disk impart similar movements to the intermediatespur-gear 8, and any turn rotates in opposite directions the saidspur-gears 6 of the winding-shafts. The spur-gear 8 and the milled disk9 are held in position upon the shaft by means of a thumb-screw 10 whichis threaded upon said shaft, and which being removed will permit of awithdrawal of the spur-gear 8 and milled disk 9. The opposite ends ofthe winding shafts also project beyond the end-wall of the frame and arethere provided with spur-gears 11 which mesh with an intermediate "gear12 that is mounted on astub-shaft 13 projecting from said end-wall, thesaid spur-gears being mere idlers and employed for giving a smoothrotation to the shafts as influenced by the milled disk which isdesigned to be turned by hand.

An inked ribbon or fabric 14 of a width agreeingwith the length of theruler-frame has its opposite edges securely connected to thewinding-shafts and is supported thereby and extends down the exteriorsof the sidewalls and across the bottom of the rulerframe. It will beobvious that by rotating the milled disk the position of the ribbon willbe shifted, that is to say, it will be paid out or unwound from oneshaft and wound or taken up by the other shaft in a commensurate degree.The opposite side-walls, 2 are covered by the ribbon, and have arrangedthereover L-shaped external side-walls 15, the same being secured byscrews 16 in position upon the end-walls, and these external side wallsare suitably polished or otherwise ornamented so as to render the deviceattractive. These side walls do not meet at their upper edges, andcombine to form an intermediate space, as shown.

Any suitable bottom may be employed, or in fact, the bottom may beomitted and simply the ribbon form the bottom. In the construction ofthe bottom I may employ soft sheet brass or other metal or material. Inthe present instance, however, I have illustrated the same as formed ofsheepskin and indicated it by the numeral 17. This sheepskin bottom issecured or stretched between two slidable bars 18, the ends of which aremounted in elongated slots 19 with which the end-walls are provided.This bottom is provided at its front edge with recesses or openings 20,and in rear of the same may be provided with oblong openings 22 situatedas desired and of suitable shape for a purpose hereinafter obvious. Itwill be seen that by moving the shaft in the slots the positions of theopenings in the bottom maybe altered.

Any suitable construction or arrangement of marking device may beemployed in connection with my ruler, that is to say, may be mountedupon the ways within the rulerframe and the marker may be eitherstationary or rotary as desired. In the present instance I employ amovable carriage 23, the same having formed in its opposite edgesrecesses 24: which engage with the opposite ways 3 over which thecarriageis designed to move. The carriage is provided with an inclinedslot or opening 25, from which extends a series of, in this instance,three shanks designated as 26, 27 and 28 respectively, and arranged fromfront to rear. The rearmost shank is L- shaped, that is provided with alower horizontal portion 29 and the same is provided at said point witha slot 30 in which is arranged an adjustable screw 31 that serves toconnect thereto an inverted L-shaped arm 32. The front end of the arm 32is thickened and bifurcated, and has journaled loosely therein as at 33a grooved wheel 34. This wheel being grooved peripherally forms a pairof par allel superficial marking-ribs or edges 35. The shanks 26 and 27are provided with small stub-shafts or axles 36, and upon them aremounted marking-wheels 37 and 38, the former being on the shank 26 andthe latter on the shank 27. The upper ends of the three shanks areslotted as at 39, the entire series being connected by means of atransverse clamping-screw 40. These upper ends are covered by a cap 41,whose lower end is threaded onto a cylindrical casing or sleeve 42 thatextends down into the opening between the edges of the external sidewalls, and is provided at its front side with a pointer or finger 4.3which moves over one of said side-walls, namely, the front, and over ascale with which the said side-wall is provided. A coiled spring 44 isarranged around the several shanks and is interposed between theclamping-screw before mentioned and the upper side of the carriage, sothat being an expansive spring, it serves to support or normally elevatethe several marking-wheels above and out of contact with the inked 6 5ribbon.

construction of marking disk, designating the same as 45. (See Fig. 8.)This is merely a disk with a portion of its periphery removed leaving arecess 16. Of course various portions may be removed if desired. Such awheel might be employed and would thus obviate the necessity ofemploying the notched bottom shown, in that, as will be obvious, itwould if brought in contact with the 7 5 ribbon and the latter arrangedover a page or sheet of paper, simply mark at intervals. In fact variouschanges in my invention may be made without departing from the spiritthereof or sacrificing the advantages, and I therefore would have itunderstood that I do not limit my invention to the precise details ofconstruction herein shown and described, but hold that I may vary thesame in any manner desired in order to secure the ends in view.

It will be obvious that in operation the ruler is placed upon the pageof a book desired to be ruled or any other sheet of paper, and thatthrough the medium of the hand of the operator bearing upon the cap, theaforesaid shanks may be either singly or as a whole pressed downward,whereby their wheels are in contact with the inked ribbon. The shanksare capable of independent adjustment, so that any one or a combinationmay be employed. When the wheels 37 and 38 are in contact with theribbon they will make a double line in length, or when the wheels 37 and34 are in contact with the ribbon they will make a single and a doubleline ashort distance apart, and so on. When the bottom of the ruler ismoved backward or forward so as to bring the openings in position underthe wheels, it will be observed that they will mark only where openingsocour, all as will be obvious and as will be necessary in balancing, forinstance, a ledger.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be seen that I have provided a very simple andconvenient device that may be employed in ruling ledgers, day-books,cash-books, &c., in an expeditious manner, and that I avoid thenecessity of frequent blotting, smearing, or transferring as is the casewith the ordinary red ink and ruling pen; and that, furthermore, theopenings may be cut in the bottom to suit the ledger in connection withwhich the ruler is to be employed.

A pair of slotted sliding blocks 3 are mounted on the ways 3 and may besecured at any point thereon by means of set-screws 3" which bind uponthe ways, such blocks constituting stops between which the mark- IIOarranged therein; of a marker mounted to slide Within said frame fromend to end thereof over the inked fabric and adapted to contacttherewith, substantially as set forth.

2. In a ruler, the combination with a frame and an inked fabric arrangedtherein, of a marker arranged to slide or travel within the frame fromend to end thereof, and supported for an up and down movement over saidinked fabric, substantially as set forth.

3. In a ruler, the combination with a frame; of an inked fabric arrangedwithin the frame, of a marker mounted to slide within the frame from endto end, and normally and yieldingly supported above and out of contactwith the inked fabric, and means for adjusting said fabric,substantially as set forth.

4. In a ruler, the combination with a frame, an inked fabric arrangedtherein, of ways arranged over the inked fabric, a carriage mounted forreciprocation upon the ways, and a marking-device supported yieldinglyby the carriage and adapted for contact with the inked fabric,substantially as specified.

5. In a ruler, the combination with a frame, and an inked fabricarranged therein, of ways arranged over the inked fabric, a carriagemounted for reciprocation in the ways, and a plurality of markingdevices supported by the carriage, substantially as specified.

6. In a ruler, the combination with a frame, an inked fabric arrangedtherein, and a way arranged above the inked fabric, of a carriagemounted for movement upon the way, a plurality of marking devicescarried by the carriage, means for supporting them out of contact withthe fabric and for adjusting them in such contact, substantially asspecified.

7. In a ruler, the combination with a frame, an inked fabric arrangedtherein, and a way above the same, of a carriage mounted for movementupon the way, a plurality of independent marking-devices carried by thecarriage, and means foradjusting one or all into contact with thefabric, substantially as specified.

8. In a ruler, the combination with an 01)- long frame, opposite windingshafts, means for rotating the same, an intermediate way, and an inkedribbon connected to the shafts and extending across the bottom of theframe, of a carriage mounted for reciprocation upon the way, and aplurality of marking-devices supported by the carriage and adapted to bebrought into contact with and move over said ribbon, substantially asspecified.

9. In a ruler, the combination with a f ramework, a way arrangedtherein, a carriage provided with marking-devices arranged upon the way,a marking-fabric arranged under the 1 marking devices across the bottomof the frame, of a bottom having openings in line with the travel of themarking-devices, substantially as specified.

10. In a ruler,the combination with a framework, a way arranged therein,a carriage provided with marking devices arranged upon the way, and amarking fabric arranged under the marking-devices across the bottom ofthe frame, of a movable bottom having openings in line with the travelof the markingdevices, substantially as specified.

11. In a ruler, the combination with the oblong frame comprisingend-walls, sidewalls, and external inverted L-shaped sidewalls, ofhorizontal ways connecting the end- Walls, winding-shafts arranged inthe endwalls and projecting beyond the same, a marking ribbon connectedto the winding-shafts and extending down between the side-walls andacross the bottom of the frame, spur-gears mounted on the ends of thewinding-shafts, intermediate stub-shafts, intermediate gears arrangedthereon and engaging the spurgears, a milled disk carried by one of saidintermediate gears, and a marking device arranged upon the ways,substantially as specified. j

12. In a ruler, the combination with the oblong frame having ways, andthe subjacent marking fabric, of a carriage notched to receive the waysand provided with an inclined slot, a series of shanks 26, 27 and 28arranged in the slots and having their upper ends slotted and connectedby the clamping screw 40,

the lower end of the shank 28 being laterally bent to form a horizontalportion 29 having a slot 30, and a screw 31, the inverted L-shaped arm32 secured by the screw to the horizontal portion 29 and bifurcated atits lower end, the grooved wheel journaled in the bifurca tion, and themarking wheels 37 and 38 car ried by the shanks 26 and 27, theinterposed spring between the screw 40 and top of the carriage, thesleeve having a pointer encircling the spring, and the threaded capremovably mounted on the upper end of the sleeve, substantially asspecified.

13. In a ruler, the combination with the oblong frame, the inked fabric,and the movable marker, of opposite parallel rods arranged in slots inthe end-walls of the frame, anda yielding bottom wall carried by thebars and having openings adapted to be aligned with the path traversedby the marking devices, substantially as specified.

14. In a ruler, the combination with an oblong frame, an inked fabric,and a superimposed marking-device, of a bottom movably mounted upon theunder side of the frame below the inked fabric and having openings,substantially as specified.

15. In a ruler, the combination with a frame, an inked fabric arrangedtherein, and ways arranged over the inked fabric, of a carriage carryingmarking devices mounted for sliding on the ways, and adjustable stopsarranged on the ways in the path of the carriage, substantially asspecified.

16. In a ruler, the combination with a framework, an inked fabricarranged therein, and

a way arranged over the fabric, of a carriage In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as arranged upon the way for movement and my own I havehereto afixed my signature in provided with marking devices, and slottedthe presence of two witnesses.

blocks constituting stops arranged upon the JAMES GRUNDY. 5 way andprovided with binding screws for Witnesses:

impinging upon the Way, substantially as 11.1. DILLISTIN,

WM. HUGHES.

specified.

